Here For the Same Reason
by raezura
Summary: During the Winter War, Soi Fon is sent to the Urahara Shoten to recover. Meanwhile, an Espada is sent to make sure she doesn't make it out alive. And to hurt the person she loves most. YoruSoi
1. Chapter 1

Hachi watched as Baraggan's lifeless body fell to the ground. Not to say it had much life it him to start with. Hachi sighed and looked back at the injured Captain Soi Fon. She was clutching her arm in pain, or at least what remained of it.

"What are you looking at?" she scoffed. Hachi smiled. This was more like the captain he knew.

"I think you need to remove yourself from the battlefield immediately." Soi Fon's eyes widened.

"What do you mean," she cried. "We're barely going to win this war. Do you think I'm going to let a group of you…you things take over and fight for us?"

Hachi smiled again. Soi Fon's brow furrowed. As much as she hated to admit it, she really couldn't do the other Shinigami any good by sticking around. But the last thing she wanted was for the war that they had worked so hard to win could only be done with help from the Vizards.

"So what do you say? Will you go home and get some rest? I can only heal you to the best of my meager abilities," said Hachi humbly.

Soi Fon looked at Omaeda, her Lieutenant who she had trusted with her life for the first time. She claimed to hate the man but could she really after this fight? She nodded to Hachi.

"Alright then. I'll have Omaeda take you back to the Urahara Shoten."

Soi Fon froze. She had no idea that Urahara Kisuke was in the fake Karakura. And if he was here that meant she must be too. Soi Fon remembered the last time she saw her goddess. It was right before the war and she had been given the orders to leave. She remembered her goddess's mouth on hers as they said their goodbyes, not knowing if Soi would return.

She would stay out of the battle even if it meant not getting credit for her fight. Even if it meant losing her position as Captain and head of the Onmitsukido. Now that she had the opportunity to see her.

Yoruichi.


	2. Chapter 2

The last thing Yoruichi expected to see when she first woke up was her lover's oaf of a lieutenant gasping in her doorway.

"Omaeda? What are you doing here?" she asked in a panic. With the war going on outside their door she knew that none of the Shinigami would be coming to the shop for any reason other than for something bad.

Omaeda held up a finger as he wheezed. "It's…it's taicho. She…" He simply motioned to the unconscious women lying in his arms instead of finishing his sentence. With that his arms slipped out from under Soi Fon as he struggled to regain his breath. Yoruichi gasped and dived for her. She caught the other women securely in her arms. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Kisuke walking into the rooms.

"What happened?" he said forgetting his usual comical manner. Yoruichi looked down at Soi Fon and started to answer. Then she noticed the woman's arm. If you could call it that. Its current state was simply the stub of a bone sticking out of her sculpted shoulder. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes. With a loud cry she sat down cradling Soi while she sobbed.

"Omaeda, I need you to tell me what happened," said Kisuke as he held out a chair for the large man to sit down in. Omaeda nodded and sat down exhaustedly.

"She was fighting an Espada by the name of Baraggan. He was their king or something. I don't really know." Omaeda paused. "His power was aging. Taicho managed to dodge his attacks except for one. It got her arm. To prevent it from spreading she told me to cut her arm off. I didn't want to but…" He stopped to look at Yoruichi who was clutching Soi even tighter. "I'm so sorry Yoruichi. She told me to do it. I didn't know what else to do!" he exclaimed.

Kisuke put a hand on his shoulder. "Stop. It wasn't your fault. Now tell me, what happened next with Baraggan?" With a sigh Omaeda continued.

"To defeat him she had to use her Bankai. He went down right away. Then, something happened. He came back. Taicho was too weakened to fight him again. We were lucky Hachi showed up."

"Wait," said Kisuke. "Hachigen Ushoda?" Omaeda nodded. "That means the Vizards were there too. He saved you?" "Yes. But only after he got Taicho to use her Bankai again." Kisuke looked down at Soi Fon. "No wonder she's unconscious. Using a Bankai is taking enough, let alone twice in once day." Kisuke turned to Yoruichi. "I want you to go find Tessai. He'll have to do until we get Orihime-chan back." Yoruichi nodded and ran to the next room with Soi Fon in her arms. Kisuke moved to shut the door behind her. He had failed Soi Fon once by leaving with Yoruichi. He wasn't going to fail her again by letting her die.


	3. Chapter 3

"Put her over here Yoruichi," said Tessai, motioning to the futon laid out in front of him. She nodded and lay Soi Fon down. Tessai kneeled in front of the injured woman. He unwrapped her bandaged shoulder and looked at the damage.

"This is pretty bad. It's an uneven cut and I won't be able to do much with the bone sticking out like this." Seeing Yoruichi's worried face he continued. "I will have to use stronger Kido in order to put skin over the bone." She nodded again and moved to leave. Tessai shook his head and indicated her to sit down again.

Yoruichi eased herself into sitting position by Soi's head and started to stroke her hair. Tessai began his Kido. The bright light was concentrated to the remains of the injured female's shoulder. She softly moaned in her unconscious state. Yoruichi started to unbraid Soi's long hair. She took in the wraps off and unfastened the rings that kept the tresses from unraveling. The woman's long raven locks flowed out. She continued to stroke her long hair.

"Alright. This is as much Reiatsu that her body can take for now. She has very little left. Understandable due to using her Bankai twice in one day." Tessai stood to leave. "I'll let you two alone. Make sure not to stay too long. She needs her rest." With that he walked out of the room, closing the shoji door behind him. Yoruichi listened to his footsteps retreat into the rest of the house. When she couldn't hear them anymore she started to cry.

"I'm sorry Soi. I'm sorry for not getting involved in the War and helping you." She buried her head in Soi's good shoulder. "If I had agreed to help the Shinigami we could have taken him together. Then this never would have happened. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." With that she left out a loud sob.

She heard the door open behind her. Yoruichi looked up. It was Ururu. 'Oh god,' she thought. 'I can't let a child see me like this.' She did her best to wipe the tears from her face. "Come here Ururu," she whispered.

"What happened to Soi Fon-taicho?" asked the girl. Yoruichi attempted to answer but she was stopped by another wave of sobs. She felt something on her shoulder. It was the girl's hand. "Is she hurt?" Ururu asked with pleading in her voice. Yoruichi nodded.

The girl cracked a smile. "It'll be okay. Soi Fon-taicho is one of the strongest captains. She'll be good." As soon as she had finished Yoruichi swept her into her arms. This was the first assurance of Soi's condition she had received, even if it was from a little girl. Her gratefulness was so great that she didn't notice the woman waking up out of her semi-comatose state.


	4. Chapter 4

So, I was originally planning on not having any messages in my fic. But then I realized I kind of like it. First, a couple people have complained the chapters are too short. I will address this and the chapters will definitely be longer from now on. Thanks to everyone who has read and has left reviews. This is my first fic and it's going pretty well so far.

**Chapter 4**

Soi Fon groaned from her futon on the floor in the Urahara Shoten. Yoruichi stopped hugging Ururu, the girl who was comforting her and rushed over to her side. "Soi, Soi can you hear me?" she questioned. Soi Fon groaned again in response. She tried to sit up but Yoruichi gently pushed her back down.

"What's going on?" Soi asked. As her eyes focused she realized who the person sitting in front of her was. "Y-Yoruichi-sama!" she exclaimed. Yoruichi responded with a tender kiss on her lover's lips. "You're okay now. Do you remember how you got here?" She nodded. "Hachi said it would be best for me to rest up. I guess I must have fallen asleep on the way over here." Yoruichi laughed, her white teeth a contrast to her caramel colored skin.

"What? What's so funny?" Soi demanded. Yoruichi took out her hand and stroked Soi's long raven locks. "I'm just relived is all," she said with a giggle. "You come in here passed out with your arm torn off and gave us all quite a scare." She turned to Ururu. "Go tell Kisuke she's up. And can you start the bath." Ururu nodded and ran off to obey her orders.

"A bath?" Soi asked as a blush began to spread across her cheeks. "I'm fine really. I think I'll be fine wit-" Yoruichi put a finger to her lips and Soi immediately stopped talking. "Come on. Now let's go get you cleaned up. "With that she swept the woman into her arms and whisked her away to the bathroom.

* * *

"My god. Your clothes are a mess," Yoruichi said as she took off Soi's haori. "Sorry. I wasn't really thinking of keeping them in good condition as I was fighting for my life," Soi said with a grin. She started to attempt to take off her own shihakusho. With a single arm it was rather difficult. Yoruichi moved to help her. Soi motioned her away, or as well as she could considering the awkward position she had gotten herself into. She struggled for a few more seconds before giving up.

Yoruichi threw her head back and laughed. "My poor baby," she said through her guffaws. "It's not funny!" Soi protested. She struggled a little more to show her the trouble she was having. Yoruichi came over and undressed her with one swift movement. Soi turned bright red and grabbed a towel to cover herself. "Oh why do you do that? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before," Yoruichi said with a wide grin. She grabbed her towel away and smoothly lifted her into the tub.

"Aren't you getting in?" Soi asked coyly. "Oh so first you're embarrassed to be naked around me but now you can't wait for me to be the same?" Yoruichi replied with a smirk. Soi stammered for an explanation. "Nah, I understand what you're saying. No, I'm going to be giving you your bath from out here," she said with simple affirmation.

As Soi adjusted to the warm water Yoruichi took out a washcloth and soap and began vigorously scrub at her skin. Soi winced but allowed her to continue to wash. She continued to scrub till her whole body was done except for her injured shoulder. For that she scooped up water and poured it gently on the wound. Soi set her face even tighter. Finally Yoruichi eased her hair back and massaged shampoo into it. She felt the woman relax beneath her touch. She rinsed the suds from Soi's tresses. "There. All done," Yoruichi announced. She helped her out of the tub and dried her off.

"Shoot. You don't have any clothes other than these do you?" Yoruichi asked. Soi shook her head. "Though so. Come with me. We'll get you into my clothes." She picked up her girlfriend and took her into her own bedroom. She sat Soi down on her bed and went to her dresser. As she sorted through the drawers for a pair of pajamas Soi looked around the room. "Why is it that you have the only Western style room in the house?" she asked. Yoruichi turned to her as she continued her searching. "Oh that? It was one of the 'selling points' of the house. None of the kids or Kisuke were used to it so it got put on me. You like it?"

Soi paused. "Not really. It's…different." Yoruichi scoffed. "That's for sure." She lifted out a pair of fleece pajamas. "These should fit you. Let's get you dressed." She helped her into the pajamas and tucked her into the bed. "Good night little bee," she said with a smile and planted a kiss on top of Soi's head.

* * *

Aizen looked over the battlefield of the fake Karakura. What destruction he had caused. And what a delight it had brought him. He had gone over how the scenario would play itself out in his head numerous times. But he hadn't expected it to go this well. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of white; a messenger.

"What is it?" he demanded. The messenger cleared his throat nervously. "It's the 2nd Division Captain Aizen-dono. She seems to have retreated from the battle." Aizen glared at him. Soi Fon retreating? Baraggan must have done more damage on her than he had originally thought. "Have you managed to figure out where she's gone to?" The messenger nodded. "We believe that she has gone to the Urahara Shoten." Aizen guffawed. That stupid woman never changed, always pinning for that traitorous bitch Shihonin.

"What would you like us to do?" the messenger questioned. Aizen waived him away. "Find me Asclepiode. I have a job for him to do."

**End Chapter 4**

Don't worry, you aren't forgetting someone. Asclepiode is an OC who will be appearing briefly to move the plot along. I apologize if this chapter wasn't very exciting. But it will get exciting next chapter. I promise.


	5. Chapter 5

So, a couple things before I start. New chapter of Bleach came out today. So this fic is officially non-canon. Second, you need to know what a kotatsu is for this chapter to make any sense. It's an electric heater which goes underneath a table to heat it during the winter. Finally, though I usually hate OCs but the story will contain one from now on. Anyways, thank you for reading and please review. I love hearing what you guys have to say.

**Chapter 5**

Aizen sent his messenger off with a flourish. It would seem odd to anyone else. Getting a simple Fraccion to aide him in his plans? Ridiculous. But he knew something the others didn't. Asclepiode was skilled in the one thing he needed to do most. He needed to take out the people that would be a greatest threat to him. Soon the Shinigami would be gone. Then who would be left? Why no one but two disgraced former captains, a former Kido master, and two talented brats. Not to mention that bitch of a captain. Those were the last people he wanted to face. Besides, his forces were weak. They could take him down.

He noticed a flash out of the corner of his eye. It was the messenger again but this time with someone else. Aizen turned to look. Indeed it was Asclepiode. He was a plain looking man as far as Arrancars went. No idiosyncrasies. Simply put, if he was out of his uniform he could easily blend into any crowd. And that was exactly the way Aizen wanted it.

"I need you to do something for me," Aizen said plainly. "Of course Aizen-dono," Asclepiode said as he bowed respectfully. "Whatever you need me to do I will do it." Aizen smiled. He expected nothing less from someone so loyal. This might go easier than he had expected. "Alright then. I need you to…take care of a few people for me."

Asclepiode smiled. "That's my job Aizen-dono. Give me their names and I'll take them out as soon as possible." Aizen motioned his messenger to hand the Arrancar and scroll containing his mission information. He looked it over and a look of panic crossed his face. "With all respect Aizen-dono," he stammered. "I don't believe I could do this. I am nothing more than a Fraccion. They would kill me the second they saw me."

Aizen stopped him by raising a finger. "That's where we have the advantage. You _are _nobody special. So you will act as a nobody." He tossed Asclepiode a shihakusho handed to him by his messenger. "You will be disguised as one of the members of the 4th Squad sent here to aid the injured. Say you're checking on Soi Fon's condition. Then, use this." Aizen held up an opaque, white cube. The other man inhaled a sharp intake of breath. "Is that…?" he asked.

"Indeed. It is a Shoukateji. Very rare and has the odd ability turn from a solid to a gas. All it needs is a little heat." He handed it to Asclepiode. "It's wintertime, no? Put it in the kotatsu. After that you leave and your job will be done. The gas released is completely odorless and invisible." He waved both men away with a swift motion. "Get on with it. The sooner this task is done, the sooner we win the war."

* * *

"That's all I'm able to do today," said Tessai as he finished his healing Kido. "Your arm is coming along quite nicely. I will just get some new bandages on and you should be good for tonight." He dug around in his medical bag and pulled out some sterilized bindings. As he put them on, he noticed that Soi Fon no longer winced when he attended to her arm. In fact, the look in her eyes seemed almost-dare he say it-grateful. Maybe it was her near-death experience. Or maybe it was just simply being close to Yoruichi. Whatever it was, she seemed different then the cold person who he had seen left behind so long ago.

"There we go," he said as he finished tying of the final bandage. Soi smiled and uttered a quiet thanks. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. She heard Kisuke yell about getting the door and running quickly to get to the front entrance. He greeted the person at the door and immediately started yelling for her. With a sigh she stood up and went to go to the door.

"Ah Soi-chan," said Kisuke while hiding behind his fan. "This young man has been sent by Isane to check up on your current condition." She looked him over. He was tall with brown hair but truly nothing special. Probably destined to be an unseated member of the 4th Squad for the rest of his career. She pitied him. "I'm fine thank you," Soi said with a pleasant smile. "You can tell that to Isane-fukutaicho." As she motioned to leave Kisuke put his hand on our arm. "Now this young man came all the way here to check on your condition. You could at least serve him tea," he scolded.

With a sigh she led the man into the house and started a kettle on the stove. Kisuke went back into his "office" to continue working on a project. Asclepiode could only grin. How could they be so stupid to trust him? He sat down at the kotatsu and slipped the cube of Shoukateji out of his pocket. He took off the cover, carefully so he couldn't get burned, and placed it in. Now he only had a few minutes before the gas would get out.

"Um, Soi Fon-taicho," he stammered, attempting to look like he had the utmost respect for her. "I think I'm fine without tea. Isane-fukutaicho will be expecting me back." She nodded curtly. You could easily tell she never wanted to serve him in the first place. "Of course. I'll show you your way out."

As she closed the door behind him she noticed her head felt a little woozy. Soi dismissed it as simply being from her healing earlier. But then she heard loud retching noises from the bathroom. She managed to get to the door of the bathroom, though just barely considering how little coordination she now had. She was surprised to see it was Yoruichi worshipping the porcelain god.

Her eyes began to unfocus. She felt short of breath. Yoruichi tried to move to help her but was distracted by her own sickness. Outside the room she heard the sounds of sickness as the rest of the house experienced the same tortures as her. "I-I think we've been poisoned" were her last words before Soi Fon collapsed on the ground.

**End Chapter 5**


	6. Chapter 6

No personal message this time. Just wanted to thank everyone for reading as usual and continue to ask for reviews. Also big thanks to the American Association for Poison Control website. Thanks to the two people who reviewed the last chapter. It's so nice hearing from you guys. So without further ado I bring you chapter six.

**Chapter 6**

Soi Fon had no idea how long she had been lying on the bathroom floor. She was able to put the pieces together as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She had been poisoned. The others must have too. Occasionally when she was awake the sounds of everyone's sickness. How could this have happened, to her and Yoruichi especially? As captains of the Onmitsukido they had exposed their bodies to various poisons in order to be immune to them. But they practiced with only the common ones; the poisons that were used most in assassinations. This poison must have been unknown to her. But was there even such a thing?

There was a reason thinking was so difficult for Soi. It was the symptoms. The combination of the constant vomiting, fever, convulsions, and difficulty breathing had drained her so much that she could barely stand. And that killed her inside. She needed to know how Yoruichi was. The woman must have left earlier. How she managed to even stand was a mystery.

Soi knew what she needed. Suzumebachi could take care of all of this. But she didn't know if she could even stand up, let alone search through the entire house for her Zanpakutou. But if she was going to save them and save herself she needed to find it. Soi looked around the sparse bathroom for something to get herself upright with. The bathtub was too far away. As was the toilet. But the towel racks were right above her head. If she could get herself up at least a couple of feet she could pull herself up the rest of the way.

She set her jaw and put her hand on the floor. Soi couldn't help laughing to herself. In all her misery she had forgotten about losing an arm. With all her might she pushed her weak body upwards until she got into a sitting position. Her lungs ached with difficulty breathing. Her remaining arm felt like it was going to fall off. But she had to get up. She had to get up to save everyone. To save the person she loved more than anything in the world.

* * *

"I have returned from the mission Aizen-dono." Asclepiode said while humbly bowing. But Aizen's face was not a happy one. "I can still feel their Reiatsu. They aren't dead yet." Asclepiode quickly fumbled to apologize. "I'm sorry Aizen-dono but this is to be expected. They are former members of the 13 Court Guard Squads. And the children, well they aren't exactly normal children."Aizen struggled to keep her composure. "Yes, I understand . But I didn't want them weakened. I want them dead. I need you to go and finish them off.

* * *

After hours of struggling, Soi had finally gotten to the living room. She wasn't prepared for the sight. The inhabitants of the house lay around in various stages of sickness. Kisuke lay on the couch next to Ururu with Jinta beside her. They all looked dead. Soi started to panic. Had they died? They obviously wouldn't be able to stand the same amount of poison that she and Yoruichi could. Suddenly a groan emitted from Kisuke's lips. She was startled and managed to pull herself up to the couch. "Kisuke," she whispered with difficulty. She wasn't aware of how dry her mouth was. She needed to get some water and soon.

The man moaned again. Soi whispered his name again but louder this time. He woke with a start. "Soi-chan, you're okay," Kisuke said with a surprise. "Ugh, I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Or two." Soi nodded with all the sympathy she could muster. "How are the kids? Where's Yoruichi-sama?" Kisuke smiled. "Always the priorities with you, eh Soi-chan?" He coughed. "I'll tell you if you get me some water." She nodded again and got up to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Soi had found that the more she walked the more her muscles warmed up. This was a good sign.

When she reached the kitchen she got the nearest glass she could and filled it with the cool liquid. She rushed it back to Kisuke who drank it quickly. "Thanks," he said wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "We need to get out here. I believe our symptoms are those of gas poisoning. We need to get out of here." Soi Fon panicked. "Where do we go? How would I get you there?" Kisuke dismissed her worries with a shrug. "I'm thinking the basement will be our best bet. I can help you get the kids down. Then we'll find Tessai and Yoruichi."

Soi couldn't have agreed faster. She helped Kisuke up and swung Jinta over her back. He was heavy for a little kid. He briefly protested but then settled back into a semi-comatose state. Kisuke picked up Ururu and went to the kitchen to open the trapdoor that lead to his basement. They both slowly and carefully climbed down the ladder and set the kids down at the bottom. Then they went back up to look for the two people remaining.

"Yoruichi!" Soi called. "She's not going to respond to you, you know," Kisuke smirked. She glared at him with a glower that could piece steel. After wandering through most of the rooms of the house they finally found Yoruichi in the front entryway. Soi immediately rushed to her side. "Help me get her up Kisuke." But he was nowhere in sight. She looked around for the man. He was staring at the living room table.

"The kotatsu," Kisuke said with realization. Soi looked at him blankly. "That man from Squad 4 who came by earlier. He must have put something in the kotatsu." He bent down to look inside. The second he opened the hot cover he was immediately blasted by a vast amount of poisonous gas. "Kisuke!" Soi screamed. She put Yoruichi over her good shoulder and picked up the man who was writhing in pain. After struggling for a bit to position them on small frame, she managed to get the two down into the basement. As she attempted to catch her breath she noticed a glowing white light in the center of the room.

The light grew bigger and bigger until a man stepped out. It was the man from earlier. He had a haughty look on his face that made her want to punch him out. "My name is Asclepiode and I'm here to finish the job."

**End Chapter 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I can see by your face that you remember me," said Asclepiode as he looked over the furious female captain in front of him. He could already tell that his poison had had effects on her body. Sweat coated her brow and she was obviously exhausted by simple movements. In front of her lay the unconscious bodies of Urahara Kisuke, Shihonin Yoruichi, Tsukabishi Tessai, and two young-but apparently powerful- brats. And all that remained of the threats was the woman in front of him.

Asclepiode looked Soi Fon over. She wasn't an unattractive woman; a bit masculine for his taste though. He suddenly noticed that her eyes were not on her opponent. She had most likely been trained to do so at a young age. So why wasn't she doing something so elementary now? With little difficulty he followed her eyes. She was looking at the dark skinned woman with vast emotion in her eyes. He instantly knew what she felt. This was love at its purest, most basic form. A desire to protect the person she cared about most. This was her weakness. Her Achilles' heel. But more importantly, this was how he would bring her down.

"You think a person with your ability wouldn't give away their fault in one simple gesture," he chided. Soi looked up with a start. Anger instantly passed over her face. She clenched her fists and started to shake with rage. With a cry she sped towards the Arrancar.

"You! You did this!" she screamed as she drew her Zanpakutou out from behind her back. The man's eyes widened as he quickly dodged her attack. In her fury Soi barely avoided hitting the painted wall of the basement behind her. She caught her breath and sped at him again. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" Her Zanpakutou instantly transformed into the well-known stinger-like blade. Asclepiode anticipated this and dodged her again. They repeated the process several more times until she collapsed in the center of the room.

Soi was gasping for breath. The rare poison had weakened her more than she had imagined. Usually she could use shunpo at least 100 times before even getting out of breath. At once she began to sob. It was too much for her. First the bastard hurt her goddess and now he was going to hurt her. How could she be so weak to let something happen? "Pathetic," Asclepiode muttered under his breath. He didn't expect one of the strongest captains in the 13 Court Guard Squads to be so weak. Soi overheard him and wiped her tears away quickly. She had to win. She had to prove that she was stronger than this man.

She pushed herself up and readied her blade. I'll kill you," she yelled to the man across the room, "No one hurts her. No one hurts Yoruichi-sama!" With a louder cry than before she lunged at the man. He caught her arm and threw her backwards. A loud thud sounded as Soi hit the back wall leaving a long crack up the concrete wall. She stood and rubbed her back. Those muscles would be killing her in the morning.

Again she lunged. Soi had already realized that her reactions were slowed. But she was the fastest person in the Sereitei. Even if her reactions were slowed she would still be faster than average. "You're wonder how I'm so fast, eh Soi Fon-taicho?" Asclepiode said with a laugh. "You Shinigami aren't the only ones with speed you know. I just happen to be one of the faster Arrancar. It also helps," he guffawed as he walked over to her side. "That you're too enamored with your bitch of a girlfriend to defend yourself." As an emphasis to his point he punched her in the solar plexus. Hard. She went down like a rock in water.

"Here I come expecting you to put up a fight," he said with a tight grimace. "But I'm obviously not going to get any satisfaction from this." He pulled out a long, thin katana. "So how about I end it right now?" As a response Soi kicked him in the face. She quickly rolled away from his swinging the blade down. As she steadied herself Asclepiode spit out a mouthful of blood. "Oh bitch, you are going to regret that," he yelled as he threw his blade to the ground. "This is serious now." He ran toward her.

Asclepiode's leg swept out in a wide, graceful art, connecting with Soi's ankles, throwing her off balance. Without even realizing what exactly was happening, Soi found herself flat on her back, sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen, wincing as tiny pebbles from the floor of the basement dug painfully into her back. She pushed off the ground and ran towards the man. She pulled out her blade and managed to slam it against his arm.

"You will never win!" she screeched as the blade cut bone. Asclepiode jerked his arm away, only making the wound worse. She backed up and prepared to hit him again. This time he dodged right as she veered the sword left. It hit air and Soi grunted in frustration.

He knew he had little chance. She could fight like hell and had the attitude to match. He needed to finish this battle quickly. He recognized his only option but knew how it would drain his Reiatsu. But his alternative was death. That wasn't too promising of an option. There was no more time to consider it.

He drew his katana and sighed. "You leave me with no choice Soi Fon-taicho. Now go, Prisión de Inseguridad!"

As if from the sky, a giant crystal box fell down and surrounded Soi. She stared it down with coolness in her eyes. How could he possibly think this would win him the battle? A box to contain her in? What a sad, feeble attempt at victory. The silence was eerie compared to the roar of battle she had experienced over the last few days. Suddenly she heard a voice. It was soft and feminine, almost calming. But it's message was far from comforting.

"You know," the voice stated matter-of-factly. "She never loved you."

**End Chapter 7**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"She never loved you, you know."

The voice rang clear in Soi Fon's ears. Was she imagining it? No. How could she possibly imagine something so cruel? So untrue. Yet it sounded like someone sitting next to her was speaking. She decided to wait for it to sound again.

"Have you ever heard of pity Soi Fon?" the phantom voice asked. "Have you heard of guilt?"

She could only nod is response.

"Good. Then you know what a person feels when they suffer from these unwanted emotions. They want to make amends."

Her throat went dry. She struggled to gasp out a reply but the words just wouldn't come.

"Cat got your tongue?" the voice chuckled a little. "Ironic isn't it?"

Soi could feel her heart pounding in her chest. These statements. They seemed familiar. As if she had thought of them before. But could she? Could she really be doubting the love of the person she practically put on an altar and worshiped? No. There could be no way.

"You're wrong," she finally spat out. "You have it all wrong."

"Or do I?" it replied. "I am someone you know Soi Fon."

She searched her memory for the voice and was positive she had never heard the voice before. "Who, who are you?"

"Why, you don't know?" The voice sounded almost offended. "I am your heart. Your inner most feelings. To put it simply, I am your insecurities. And I remember every apprehensive thought you've ever had."

"And you think…?"

"Correct. She never really loved you. Pity Soi Fon. Pity. A powerful emotion that makes us do crazy things to make up for it."

She felt her eyes drifting towards Yoruichi's lifeless body. She felt something stir in the pit of her stomach. Could fate really be so cruel that Yoruichi would betray her like that? She shook her head.

"Having doubts about your doubts?" The voice chuckled again. "Listen to me. She doesn't love you. Why do you think she refuses to stay more than a night with you?"

Soi struggled for answers. "Because she's a traitor to the Sereitei?" she questioned.

"You idiot. She goes back to _him_ every night. Every day she spends with you she spends at least a week with him," the voice faltered as it grew angrier and angrier. "She is in love with Urahara Kisuke."

Soi Fon began to sob. No it couldn't be true. The voice was just trying to break her. It couldn't be true. But it was right. All the days that she would spend with him. It all made sense now. But what did that mean for her? All the times that Yoruichi had kissed her on the lips and held her. Told her that she loved her. All the times they made love. Was it all a lie?

Outside of the cube Asclepiode laughed. His Zanpakutou's power was completely effective at driving a person insane from the inside out by drawing out their most hidden insecurities. Was there a better way to make an opponent completely defenseless? After he was done with her, she would be an easy enough foe to destroy. Aizen-dono would be most pleased with him. He turned his attention back to the conversation inside the box.

"She really felt that badly?" Soi questioned the voice.

"After seeing that you were in love with her she obviously felt bad. What better way to make up for it than pretend she was also in love with you?"

"But-"

"But nothing! Everything I'm saying is true. Tell me, how would I know these things if you have not felt them yourself. I am the heart. I cannot think for myself."

Soi's lip quivered. She couldn't take this. She had to get out. She had to stop the voice from saying these horrible things. But yet she couldn't help but question these things to be true. It was right. She _had_ thought these horrid things before. But there was no way out. She would be stuck here facing this horrible voice. Forever.

She looked over and saw the Arrancar. He did this to her. He was the one whose power was to make her face her worst fear; losing the only person she cared about in the world. He also could fix this. If Kisuke was right and he was the person who poisoned them then he would have the antidote. But the question was how could she get out?

"Show yourself!" Soi commanded.

"What?" the voice asked. It cackled. "You really think that you can defeat me? I am you. I am your heart. And you of all people should know that if you attack the heart the owner dies, no?"

Scratch that plan. There must be some way. She looked towards the sides of the cube. Yes. That was the answer. It was simple glass. There had to be a way out.

She started to pace along the sides looking for a weak area. She could tell that the Arrancar wasn't practiced at using this technique. After all, he was only a simple Fraccion.

"What are you doing?" the voice shrieked. "Are you trying to go to her? Haven't you been listening to me? She doesn't love you. She never-"

"Shut up!" Soi bellowed. She took a running start from one corner of the cube and hurled herself at a weak point. The glass shattered all around her and fell straight down on top of her.

She could feel the individual pieces of the glass fragments imbedding themselves into her skin. It felt like she was being stabbed with hundreds of knives. And it may have been true. She tried to stand but even the slightest movement sent a shooting pain throughout her body. But she had to go on. She had to keep moving.

For her. To prove that what the voice had said was wrong.

**End Chapter 8**

Shorter chapter this time. I hope you enjoyed it. My word processor was freaking out with all the fragment sentences. It bugged me having green lines everywhere.

Only about 2 or 3 chapters left. Now it's time for you to decide on what fic I start next. There are two contenders. Just send your vote or post it in a review.

1-Got My Flash On-Romance/Drama -When Soi Fon and Yoruichi's relationship becomes public, people begin to debate their relationship. More importantly, a tabloid decides that they are the it couple of the moment and begins to make their lives a living hell.

Or

2-The Fan Club-Romance/Humor-Soi Fon's Onmitsukido contains many people who joined due to their crush on the captain. But after her relationship with Yoruichi becomes known, a group rises up to break them apart once and for all.

Quick thing about these two. They both kind of have the same theme. (Relationship becomes public=consequences) Yes the first is named after lyrics from Lady Gaga. Also the thing about the Onmitsukido members having a thing for Soi, totally cannon. The fic is also loosely based off of Yuki's fan club in Fruits Basket.

So remember to vote and keep reading.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the few responses voting. So far "The Fan Club" is in the lead. Remember that you can continue to vote until I finish this story. I can't believe the response I've gotten for my first fic. Almost 3,000 views and over 1,000 people! Thanks so much.

**Chapter 9**

Asclepiode looked on as Soi Fon managed to escape. Was she an idiot? She was already extremely weak to begin with but throwing herself through a glass wall would only make her more susceptible to his attacks. Finishing her off would be a piece of cake. And with all the current Espada dead it would only be a matter of time before Aizen would promote him. He never thought that killing off a captain would be so simple. He walked toward her with a skip to his step.

"So, you give up?" he asked Soi with a smile.

She ignored him as her attention was placed on more important things; like getting up. Considering the vast amount of glass pieces sticking out of her body it would be no easy task.

He bent over to examine what was left of her. "Poor girl. You were a cutie. Too bad that beautiful face of yours will be so quickly forgotten in the casualties of this war." To emphasize his point he stroked her face. Soi boiled over with rage.

"Well, I guess I better go and get my Zanpakutou. It's time to put you out of your misery." With that he rose to go retrieve his fallen sword. This was it. This was the chance Soi had been waiting for. She lunged for his knee and grabbed hold. She pulled herself up and grabbed his neck in a chokehold.

Asclepiode immediately began screaming. Her expert fingers were digging into a pressure point with little difficulty. "Stop!" he shrieked. "You're killing me!"

Soi spat in his face. "Good." She dug in harder to the melody of screeching. "Now I could kill you in any variety of ways. I could break any bone in your body. I could choke you till your gasping for air with your last breath. I could-"

"Stop!" Asclepiode cried. "I get it. I was wrong to ever assume I was more powerful than you!" He started to cry tears of pain and fear. "What is it you want from me? Revenge?"

Soi scoffed. "I'm not that petty of a person." He didn't need to know about her hundred year grudge against Yoruichi. "I want something of much more value." She pulled herself up even more to glare into his eyes. "You used poison. If there's anything I know it's that every poison has an antidote. What is it?"

The man motioned for her to let go. She gave in and released him. Asclepiode began searching his uniform. He pulled out a small vial. "Here," he said as he handed over the precious liquid. "I kept it in case I inhaled some of the fumes." A pleading look took over his face. "Now please, let me go."

Soi scoffed. "You almost killed me. You tortured me. You harmed the person I love." Asclepiode nodded. "But I can serve as a messenger to Aizen. Anything you want to tell him, anything at all, I can take back!"

"Problem is I have nothing to tell him." She waved him away. "Go. Aizen will do worse things to you than I could ever think of." Asclepiode hurriedly ran off towards the exit. Why the fool wouldn't beg for death was beyond her. A twisted man like Aizen or even Ichimaru could do horrendous things to him as punishment. But she couldn't worry herself with such things now. She had a job to do.

Soi pulled herself along the floor while clutching the precious vial in her fist. The rocks of the basement floor pushed the glass shards further into her arm and she winced in pain. She had to keep going. Finally she reached Yoruichi's side.

For a moment she paused. The voice could easily be right. She could just be going back into a relationship of lies. But what if it was wrong? She didn't care. Yoruichi needed to be brought back. Even if the relationship _was_ one-sided. Soi uncorked the bottle and opened Yoruichi's mouth. She poured a small amount of liquid into her mouth.

And now she would wait. She needed to here the truth. She needed for the voice to be wrong. To hear the words from Yoruichi's own mouth. Suddenly a wave of sleepiness passed over her and she felt herself blacking out. Soi lay down on Yoruichi and fell into a deep sleep.

**End of Chapter 9**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The antidote worked its way through Yoruichi's body. As it moved it took the poisons out and healed her damaged organs.

When the process was done Yoruichi slowly eased awake. She became aware of a weight lying across her body. Her eyes struggled to adjust after being out of for so long. Gradually they focused and shot open once she realized what-or rather who-was resting on her. It was Soi Fon! Immediately she shot up and grabbed a hold of the woman.

"Soi?" she screamed. She could barely process the damage given to Soi. What had happened? The last thing she could remember was waiting in her bedroom for Soi to be done with her healing. Someone had come to the door. That must have been the person who hurt her little bee.

As she cradled her, her eyes scanned the floor. A couple feet away lay a vial. Beyond that were the sprawled bodies of Kisuke, Ururu, Jinta, and Tessai. Did the mysterious person do this to them too?

Yoruichi couldn't take it all in. Aizen must be responsible for all of this. She and Kisuke had discussed their involvement in the war and knew it was only a matter of time before they themselves would be dragged in. But she didn't want it to be like this. So many people she loved had gotten hurt. And it was all because one power hungry man didn't want to fight them face to face. He was a coward of the worst variety. She buried her head in Soi's raven hair and wept.

An idea hit her like a bullet train. She suffered no more effects from the sickness before. It was poisoning, her years in the Onmitsukido had taught her that much.

Soi must have used the vial to heal her. It made perfect sense that the person who had poisoned them would have an antidote. All Onmitsukido members were taught so in order to counteract the poison in case they came into contact with it themselves. She needed to treat the others.

Being careful to lay Soi comfortably down, Yoruichi rose to retrieve the vial. It was about halfway full. There would be plenty enough to treat the remaining four. She went to Kisuke first and uncorked the vial. With great care she poured a couple drops into his open mouth.

After a few moments he coughed and sat up. "What's up?" he asked casually as if this whole incident was just a dream. Yoruichi laughed. Leave it to Kisuke. "Soi got the antidote," she said holding up the vial.

"How is she?" he questioned. Yoruichi's face crumpled and she fell against his shoulder sobbing. "She's bad," she managed to choke out. "She fought someone." Kisuke looked shocked. "In her condition? How worse are her injuries?"

With a shaking finger Yoruichi pointed to Soi lying almost peacefully on the ground. Kisuke rose and went to check on her. He turned to Yoruichi. "I'll remove the glass and fix her up. Could you get me my trauma kit? It's in the corner over there."

Yoruichi nodded and scurried off the find the corner. It had been long enough that she had forgotten how large Kisuke's basement truly was. She finally reached the corner he had specified and searched for a cabinet. It was well disguised by the sky patterned paint job but a small crack gave it away. She opened the door and took the bulky kit from inside and brought it back to Kisuke. He thanked her and unfastened the strap holding the bag shut.

"Can you go and heal the rest?" Kisuke asked. Yoruichi didn't hesitate to grab the vial from his outstretched hands. She went over to the children and Tessai and gave each of them a few drops from the vial.

They awoke and began to cough. "Make sure they stay downstairs," Kisuke called. "There's probably still poisonous gas." She nodded and started to go over to him when a tug on her jacket stopped her. It was Ururu.

"Yoruichi-san," the girl asked in a timid voice. "Will Soi Fon-taicho be okay?" Yoruichi wasn't sure how to answer. She had no honest idea if Soi _would _be okay. But she couldn't tell a small child that. She also would feel bad about lying. So she gave it her best shot.

"Kisuke and Tessai will do their very best." With a pat on the head she went over to join the two men.

They were busy at work removing the glass shards from her skin and were concentrating hard. Yoruichi crouched down by Soi's head and stroked her hair. "You can do it little bee," she whispered. "Your strong enough to take 3 battles. You can take this."

Kisuke continued his work and frowned. He had never seen his best friend get so emotional before. When she had first told him she was dating Soi Fon he was furious. He had always hoped she would wake up and realize that he was head over heels in love with her. 100 years had seemed more than enough. He hadn't thought she would go and start dating her former subordinate. But he had dismissed it as something that wouldn't last for more than a few weeks.

However, this more than proved to him this wasn't just a casual thing. This was head over heels love.

"Yoruichi," he said stopping his work. "Why don't you go over with the children and rest a bit?" She shook her head stubbornly.

"No. I'm staying right here with Soi."

Kisuke could only smile. He knew better than to argue with her. So they continued in silence, the three of them working to save the taicho's life.

**End Chapter 10**

Next chapter will be the last. I've had so much fun writing this and I hope you've enjoyed it too. After thinking it over I've decided my next story will be "The Fan Club"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Kisuke glanced over his patient to his best friend. She was still wide awake even though they had been working for over five hours. The same panicked look remained in her eyes though. He didn't know what her position must feel like. To be so close to losing someone you loved. It must be horrible.

He looked back down at his work. They had removed a majority of the shards from Soi Fon's body. He had put Tessai in charge of healing the individual wounds. Yoruichi just helped whenever she could. Mostly her presence was there in case her lover woke up. However, that didn't look it would be happening soon.

With steady hands Kisuke removed the last place of glass. Over the hours they managed to piece together what had happened. First the Arrancar had poisoned them and provoked Soi to fight. Then he must have used a special attack involving glass in order to hurt her.

Considering her condition it was a miracle she was able to defeat him. Even considering his rank couldn't be above Fraccion.

He turned to the other two. "It's still not safe to go upstairs. I've shut off the power but we'll just have to wait for the gas to leave the house." They nodded.

"In the meantime," Tessai added. "We should probably get some sleep." He stood up and left to go stay with the children who were already sound asleep.

"Will you be staying with Soi?" Kisuke asked as he rose to leave.

"Of course," Yoruichi said with a sigh as she began to create a spot next to the injured woman

She was surprised when Kisuke bent over and hugged her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "She'll be better in the morning."

Yoruichi could only nod as she tried to hold back the tears welling up. He patted her on the shoulder and turned to leave.

"You worry too much."

*

Soi's dreams were tainted by horrible things; images of Yoruichi leaving her.

Again.

And again.

But she couldn't wake up. The pain was too much.

Occasionally a voice would manage to sink through. It was mostly Kisuke's, trying to comfort Yoruichi. She sounded worried.

But Soi couldn't shake what the phantom voice had told her. She felt the person that Yoruichi had brought out of her slipping away. And she liked that person. But could she be her without Yoruichi?

It was then when she realized the absence of the constant, throbbing pain that had been accompanying her nightmares. Her eyes shot open.

In front of her sat Yoruichi. Her face lit up the second she saw Soi's eyes open. Immediately she started hugging the woman.

"Soi," she said shakily. Her eyes threatened to spill over. She brushed them away and kissed the woman.

But then she noticed something. Her bee wouldn't look at her.

"Soi," she repeated, her voice threatening to falter. She didn't even turn her head.

Yoruichi began to cry. "Please Soi, look at me," she begged.

Kisuke overheard and ran over to help. He stopped next to Yoruichi and bent down. "What's the matter?"

She just sobbed. He saw Soi's turned head.

"Look at me Soi," he demanded, his usual cheerful demeanor thrown out the window.

"What did the man do to you?" he asked. He shifted his weight and placed his hands on Soi's shoulder. She didn't even react.

She stubbornly refused to open her mouth.

Kisuke took his hands off her shoulders and looked at Yoruichi.

"He did something to her. Something horrible."

Her tears dried up immediately. She stood to leave.

"Yoruichi," Kisuke yelled. "What the hell do you think you're doing? He failed his mission. Aizen isn't just going to leave him in a corner. He's going to be heavily guarded!"

She held up her hand to stop his rant. "I don't care. He hurt her Kisuke. And no one hurts my little bee."

Before he could protest Yoruichi Shihonin, Goddess of Flash, had used her gift to leave.

He looked towards the roof. Kick that son of a bitch's ass, he thought. Kick it hard.

**End Chapter 11**

This was a transitional chapter. Sorry about the shortness. The last chapter is next and it will be a long one.


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the long break. I've had almost non-stop play practice, a new copy of Left 4 Dead 2, and on top of all that, a serious case of writer's block. So here it is.

**Chapter 12**

Yoruichi leapt across the rooftops of the fake Karakura town. Her mind was overcome with a wide range of emotions. Anger and hated had painted her mind a dark shade of red. But there was something she didn't want to acknowledge. Fear. It wasn't directed towards the Arrancar. She had nothing to fear about him; a lowly Fraccion.

No, she feared something much greater. The man had thoroughly convinced Soi Fon that Yoruichi had no feelings for her. And worse still, he had persuaded her little bee that she was only with her out of pity.

There couldn't be a more ridiculous statement. Soi was her everything. Soi was the reason she still woke up after 100 years of being away from her home with a smile on her face. Soi was the reason that she had cried every night after leaving the Sereitei. How could the man say something so cruel?

She knew of course. His mission was to destroy them. The only thing that continued to threaten Aizen. A psychologically based Zanpakutou was a fantastic way to do so.

But she would make him pay. No one could hurt the people she cared about, the _person_ she cared about, and get away with it.

Yoruichi's thoughts had carried her to a place only a short distance away from the vicinity of where Aizen had stationed guards to mind the Arrancar Asclepiode. Her stealth training insisted that she take cover and wait for the best to attack. But the disgruntled lover part of her insisted on something much more forward. She stepped into the clearing in front of the guards.

They reacted as she expected; by drawing their swords and charging towards her. She quickly dodged them and landed next to Asclepiode. Yoruichi placed her hand on his shoulder roughly.

"Now I'm not here to attack Aizen," she started. "I'm not even here to fight in your war. I just want this man."

The guards looked at each other. "Why should we give him to you?" one asked. The other nodded. "We've been given strict orders to punish him when we return to Hueco Mundo."

Yoruichi simply grinned. "I assure you two, he will be punished by my hand much more than you could even begin to imagine."

"But-"

One of the guards was cut off by a shift movement by the other. "Take him," he said dismissively. Before the other could respond in protest she was gone.

*

They landed a far distance away in a clearing in the woods. It was secluded and far from the fight. It was perfect for the punishment Yoruichi planned to unleash on the man.

"Thank you," was the first words out of his mouth. He was immediately silenced by a shift kick to the ribs. A sickening crack was heard. Asclepiode started to groan and fell onto his back.

He was quickly pulled up by his hair. Soon the Arrancar was looking straight into the furious eyes of Shihonin Yoruichi. She spat in his face and threw him into a surrounding tree. His landing was emphasized by the sound of bones being crushed against the hard wood.

"I thought you didn't believe in revenge," he said weakly while trying to remove himself from the ruined bark.

"That's Soi's policy. You can see that she is a much better person that me."

She flash stepped behind the man who had just managed to get out the tree and twisted his arm close to the breaking point. He screamed in pain. "Now, you tell me exactly what you said to her."

"Let go of me first," he insisted. Yoruichi threw him to the ground and stepped over him.

Asclepiode rubbed his arm and started to explain. "It's my Zanpakutou's main attack; Prisión de Inseguridad. It takes the person's most sensitive insecurities and reveals them to said person." He stopped to judge her reaction. She looked like she was about to lunge towards him.

"It only takes things that have been thought by the person themselves. My Zanpakutou just uses it."

Yoruichi was shocked. He meant that Soi had thought that she hadn't loved her? She quickly reached down and took his Zanpakutou from his belt. With one quick motion she trust the sword into his stomach.

Asclepiode screamed as the stomach acid burned his internal organs. "Why?" he managed to gasp.

Yoruichi smiled menacingly. "Nobody hurts my bee. Nobody.

She flash stepped away, leaving the Arrancar to die in the most painful way possible. She had more important things to worry about. Like how to convince Soi how much she truly loved her.

**End Chapter 12**

So this was supposed to be the last chapter. Obviously that didn't happen. Next chapter will be the last. Promise.


	13. Chapter 13

After making a few extra chapters to delay the ending I finally am getting it written. Thanks for all the support you have given me for my first story. Remember to read my next story The Fan Club. It will be out by the end of this month.

**Chapter 13**

Yoruichi landed in front of the Urahara Shoten. She could see Kisuke and the children hard at work trying to remove the gas from the house. All the shoji screens were open as the home was arrogated.

Tessai was inside removing the kotatsu from under the table. Its door was open and a chunk of partially melted material was clearly visible. She recognized it as Asclepiode's attempt to kill off the inhabitants of the house.

"Tessai," she called out. He looked up at her questionly. "Remember to dispose of that properly. We don't want this happening again." The man nodded and continued with his job.

Kisuke noticed Yoruichi's presence and left his work to greet her. "You got him?" he questioned.

"Of course." Her voice shook at the end of the sentence. With a wail she fell into Kisuke's arms.

"What did he do to her?" he asked while stroking her hair calmingly. She let out another sob. "H-he," she started.

Kisuke gritted his teeth. "I'm not kidding around Yoruichi. What did he do?" The caramel colored woman sniffled.

"He told her that I didn't love her."

"And she believes him?"

"Yes."

His eyes went hard as he straightened his best friend. He brushed away her tears and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then he stormed off to go into the basement.

Yoruichi stood still for a moment as she tried to comprehend what had happened. When she realized what he had gone to do she rushed after him. In her haste she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"What are you doing?" she yelled as tears streamed down her face. "She hates you. Do you really think that she's going to listen to _you?_"

"She needs to listen to the voice of reason. And right now _you _are the last person she wants to see." He waited to see her reaction. In his surprise she nodded.

"You're right. Of course you're right." She hugged him. Kisuke hugged her back and set off to continue his mission. He had realized a long time ago that she would never feel the same way he felt about her. But in his heart he knew that the old saying was true; if you love someone, let them go. And it was finally time to let go.

*

Soi Fon sat on the floor of Urahara's basement. She hated the emotions that swept over her. She hated them so much. If anyone could see her now they would honestly see no difference between her now and one hundred years ago. At the sound of footsteps she looked up. It was Kisuke.

"What do you want?" she spat. She then felt a sudden jolt to her face. It burned and stung like her own Zanpakutou. Soi lifted her hand to her cheek and realized what had happened. He had slapped her.

Her hand immediately went to her belt. But her beloved sword was gone. "What did you do with it?" she demanded.

He smiled grimly. "Unohana-taicho told me what you tried to do to yourself when Yoruichi left." He noticed that she flinched at the name. "I'm not the idiot you seem to think I am. I wouldn't let you do that."

She turned away from him. "Just leave me alone." Kisuke put a harsh hand on her shoulder and spun her back to face him.

"You need to listen to me."

"Why the hell should I you freaking m-"

He interrupted her insult. "She killed that Arrancar. I've never seen her so angry in my life."

Soi paused for a moment to contemplate this. Why would Yoruichi get mad over this? There could only be one reason for it. "She only did that because she loves you."

Kisuke laughed. "I wish she did. But no. Sometimes she even calls me Nii-sama. But do you know what she said to me before she went to kick that sorry Arrancar's ass?"

She didn't respond. He continued anyway. "She said, 'No one hurts my little bee.'"

Soi looked at him questioningly. "S-she, she said that?" He nodded. She rose and immediately ran out of the room.

He smiled. Now to watch the reunion.

*

Yoruichi sat on the steps and watched the children scrub the residue from the floor. Her tears had long dried up. She had tried to overcome them by laughing at the kid's childish antics to clamor for her attention. It didn't do much good. Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned to look and could barely see as she was enveloped in a tight hug. When the other person was let go she was shocked by the person it was. It was Soi.

"Y-Yoruichi-sama," she stuttered nervously. Suddenly she burst forth with emotion like a dam breaking. "I'm sorry. I should have never doubted you. I should have never listened to him. I'm so-"

Soi was cut off by a passionate kiss. She felt Yoruichi's firm lips of her own and returned with equal pressure. They're arms explored the other's body as they became completely unaware to the presence of the children, Tessai, and Kisuke who had recently come up to see their reunion.

As the rest of the group watched, Kisuke felt a small tug on the bottom of his haori. He looked down to see Ururu. She smiled shyly and pointed to the romantic couple.

"Kisuke," she asked quietly. "Will I find someone like that?"

He smiled. "Only if you're really lucky."

**End Chapter 13**


End file.
